In the film "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas", the story of an innocent child's forbidden friendship during World War II Germany is told. For all the inhumane treatment meted out to the Jews right in front of this boy, his character is extremely naive to the reality of what the Nazis actually do to the Jews. The overall message that the director and writer has portrayed so vividly is one of innocence and friendship. What you expect to feel from a film focusing on the Holocaust is compassion and indignation, which I did at several points, but the British accents along with some small details, continually remind me that this is a fictional story. For me the film was inspiring and entertaining. The director did very well to show a different view of the Germans during World War II, but I felt like it didn't have the same haunting feel as other Holocaust-based films. The main characters are Bruno and his family, consisting of his mother, father and older sister Gretel. There are other notable characters, such as Shmuel, Bruno's grandmother and grandfather. The meaning of each character becomes increasingly clear as the story develops. The characters were very well chosen, for example Bruno is played by a little boy with black hair and bright blue eyes, almost reminiscent of Hitler himself. I found this very profound, perhaps even intentional. Shmuel is also small for his age, his head is shaved but you can see that he has light brown hair. He uses a quiet voice when he mentions hunger, drawing the audience into compassion. The actor who played Pavel (the older Jew who worked in the Bruno family kitchen) was the perfect age and type. If it weren't for the way he speaks English, you might imagine him as a prisoner in... middle of paper... his. The innocence of the two boys can be seen as a tragedy or a blessing. Ignorance will ultimately lead them to death, but, all on the same path, to life. Throughout the film the British accents continually remind us that we are watching a fictional film. Even if you try to see the German family as real, you know that's not the case. Despite the lack of connection, the director manages to give the audience an even more unique and interesting point of view. It's time to put a different spin on certain tragedies, allowing a person's mind to explore other feelings and have fun in a variety of ways, while also learning from a child's innocence in chaos and friendship. Works Cited Boyne, John. The boy in the striped pajamas. Books by David Fickling; 1st edition (2008), 2006. The boy in the striped pajamas. By John Boyne. Dir. Marco Herman. 2008. DVD.